14 replies to this topic

[killakanz]

During my lunchbreak I was reading thru the Sun (I often spend lots of time on page 3...) and today I caught an article which angered me.
It started about a 14 year old boy who has been sentanced to 13 years jail for beating his mate to death with a hammer.
It recently arose that he enjoyed playing the console game "Manhunt".
So the Sun get's out it's industrieal flame-thrower and starts to bash the games industry for "ecouraging violence" by "killing everything that moves". Now forgive me for being sinicle, but I thought 'Manhunt' was about survival (surviving by stopping those trying to kill you by whatever means) and I dont remember where in the game it says "Now you will take a hammer and go batter your friend to death."
This boy is 14 years old. He knew exactly what he was doing. Surly the decision to take a human life in such a bloody and violent manner was not 'encouraged' by a computer game.
I have been playing computer games for a long time now, most of which feature violence, but in real life I'm a very nice guy, people get on really well with me, and I have never once felt the urge to roll a grenade into a crowded room or go on a shotgun killing spree in the streets.
The plain fact is the media always wants someone to blame to make the story. They're finding that the computer games industry is becomming an easier scapegoat with each new game released.

Can't think of a better way of finishing this post, but it just really pisses me off when I see a newspaper blame a computer game when some kid kills his mate.

Edited by killakanz, 04 September 2004 - 07:53 PM.

[Tom]

It started about a 14 year old boy who has been sentanced to 13 years jail for beating his mate to death with a hammer.

He was 17 and beat his 14 year old mate to death with a hammer. The guy was obviously insane. Yet the game is slightly ott. Personally i only like games with a story. Still no need to ban it. It does have and 18 sticker on it.

[MSpencer]

At 14 years old, you know what you're doing when you kill someone. You know when to stop. At 10, that might be different. At 14, you should get life inprisonment.

[Tom]

Come on, at 8 you know what your doing. Might not be sure enough about right and wrong decisions. At 17 that kid knew what he was doing. When i listened to the news it said he was 17, yet prove me wrong. Plus the game has an 18 limit, meaning its for 18+, they can't blame a game for a murder.

[killakanz]

does it matter how old he was? He was old enough to know what he was doing, he made the decision to do it, surly it wasn't encouraged by a game. So why does the media blame the game?

[technobreakit]

The media attacks the video games industry pretty much everytime theres an event like this, the only reason they point their sleazy fingers of blame at video games is because it sells papers, its scandalous. Screw whether its true or not, its all money money money to them.

The sad thing is, idiots read the articles and then assume these opinions are right. Considering the amount of idiots that exist in Britain, theres a hell of a lot of negative feelings being whipped up, which leads to publicity for the paper, and then more papers sold.

ITs best just to ignore it, you cant do anything about it and it only frustrates anyway...

[Beowulf]

video games = parenting scapegoat

Blame the fucking parents for change. It's not the shitty parenting, it's games. Oh my fucking ass. The parents are responsible for not teaching their kids anymore.

[Daz]

Journalists always seem to forget about the thousands or gamers who don't go round beating the crap out of people, or trying to establish bases in the middle of nowhere, or attempting to infiltrate a building as part of a counter terrorist team, or storm the beaches of Normandy, the list goes on.
To quote my english teacher, "the sun is written by idiots, for idiots".

[DarkDuel]

Wasnt the game found in the victims house anyway? so the game really had nothing to do with it...


or is this another thing to do with the same game?

[Detail]

To quote my english teacher, "the sun is written by idiots, for idiots".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't think it's written by idiots. The Sun is not the best selling news paper by having idiot writters.
It's like strippers - clever strippers act stupid, because that's what the man wants. The writters just give there readers what thay want to hear. Doing that takes some skill.
Programs like 'Animals Do The Funniest Things!' get huge ratings because the creator knows how to play with the average persons stupidity.

[MSpencer]

Didn't the Sun say that bin Laden was the second coming of Christ or something?

[Tom]

Fuck knows, but they do take the piss out of things extremely a lot.

[Deathblow Luc]

Didn't the Sun say that bin Laden was the second coming of Christ or something?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If herbed heavily, just perhaps.

[[MoD]Cha0s C0ntr0L]

Well, they think rock music and violence turns us bad. It doesnt.

The media needs a reality check.
To quote Lt. Ellen Ripley from the Alien saga,
"Did IQ's just drop sharply while I was away??"

Not that I was away, but it seemed relevant.

[Chronologic]

Meh, it's not their fault that they're intimidated by technology, or at least, their readers are and want a reason, any reason, to reduce the amount of technology around their home.

It's one of the laws of physics that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Just look at the Omish, they've chosen to react to technology and, altohugh no disrespect to them. It is natural for at least some people to react to modern technology and this is their way.